^M^;^ 


(   LIBRARY 


V. 


OlMVERSiTY  OF 
CALIFORNIA 

SAN  DIEGO       '\ 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/excelsiorOOIongiala 


EXCELSIOR 


HENRY  WADSWORTH  LONGFELLOW 


•^Pith  JilliL-stratious 


BOSTON: 

HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  AND  COMPANY. 

QLbt  UiatvaiQt  PrcBS,  CambriUfff . 

1880. 


Copyright,  1877. 
By  JAMES  R.  OSGOOD  &   CO. 


Eist   of  ilJustrations. 

Engraved  by  A.  V.  S.  Anthony. 

"  The  shades  of  night  were  falling  fast  "     .     .  A.  R.  Waud. 

"A  youth,  who  bore,  mid  snow  and  ice  "    .     .  W.  Homer. 
"  His  brow  was  sad ;  his  eye  beneath 

Flashed  like  a  falchion  from  its  sheath  "  .     .  W.  Homer. 

"  In  happy  homes  he  saw  the  light "  .     .     .     .  T.  Moran. 

"  'Try  not  the  Pass  ! '  the  old  man  said  "     .     .  A.  R.  Waud. 

"  The  roaring  torrent 's  deep  and  wide  "     .     .  T.  Moran. 

"' O  stay,' the  maiden  said  " W.  Homer. 

"  Beware  the  pine-tree's  withered  branch  "      .  J.  McEntee. 

"A  voice  replied  far  up  the  height"  .     .     .     .  T.  Moran. 

"  The  pious  Monks  of  St.  Bernard  "  .     .     .     .  Charles  Kendrick, 

"  A  voice  cried  through  the  startled  air  "     .     .  A.  R.  Waud. 

Convent  of  St.  Bernard A.  R.  Waud. 

"  Lifeless,  but  beautiful  he  lay  " W.  Homer. 

Tail-Piece A.  V.  S.  Anthony. 

Vignette  —  Alpine  Flowers F.  T.  Merrill. 


EXCELSIOR. 


The  shades  of  night  were  falling  fast, 
As  through  an  Alpine  village  passed 


Excelsior. 


A  youth,  who  bore,  mid  snow  and  ice, 
A  banner  with  the  strange  device, 

« 

Excelsior ! 


Excelsior. 

His  brow  was  sad;  his  eye  beneath 
Flashed  like  a  falchion  from  its  sheath, 


And  like  a  silver  clarion  rung 
The  accents  of  that  unknown  tongue, 
Excelsior ! 


Excelsior. 


In  happy  homes  he  saw  the  light 

Of  household  fires  gleam  warm  and  bright. 

Above,  the  spectral  glaciers  shone, 

And  from  his  lips  escaped  a  groan, 

Excelsior ! 


Excelsior. 


"^■/f.F^: 


Excelsior. 


The  roaring  torrent 's  deep  and  wide ! " 
And  loud  that  clarion  voice  replied, 
Excelsior ! 


Excelsior. 

"  O  stay,"  the  maiden  said,  "  and  rest 
Thy  weary  head  upon  this  breast ! " 


A  tear  stood  in  his  bright  blue  eye, 
But  still  he  answered,  with  a  sigh, 
Excelsior ! 


Excelsior. 


"  Beware  the  pine-tree's  withered  branch 
Beware  the  awful  avalanche!" 


Excelsior. 


%.^     This  was  the  peasant's 
last  Good-night, 

A  voice  replied  far  up  the  height, 

Excelsior ! 


Excelsior, 


At  break  of  day,  as  heavenward 


The.  pious  monks  of  Saint  Bernard 


Uttered  the  oft-repeated  prayer, 


Excelsior. 


A  voice  cried  through  the  startled  air, 
Excelsior ! 


Excelsior. 

A  traveller,  by  the  faithful  hound, 
Half-buried  in  the  snow  was  found. 
Still  grasping  in  his  hand  of  ice 
That  banner  with  the  strange  device, 
Excelsior ! 


Excelsior. 


There  in  the  twilight  cold  and  gray, 
Lifeless,  but  beautiful,  he  lay, 


Excelsior. 

And  from  the  sky,  serene  and  far, 
A  voice  fell,  like  a  falling  star, 
Excelsior ! 


J,  f5 


912 


i  ^(V-^ 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A     000  672  564     2 


CENTRAL  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
University  of  California,  San  Diego 

DATE  DUE 

DEC  0  81973 

-rn  t  ^^  SBTi^ 

CI  39 


UCSD  Libr. 


